Sparking democracy through documentary since 1966, Kartemquin is a collaborative community that empowers documentary makers who create stories that foster a more engaged and just society.
Our films have received four Academy Award® nominations and won several major prizes, including five Emmys® and two Peabody Awards. Recognized as a leading advocate for independent public media, Kartemquin has helped hundreds of artists via its filmmaker development programs.
Recent productions include 2019 Oscar® nominee Minding the Gap, and 2018 Oscar® nominees Abacus: Small Enough to Jail and Edith + Eddie, and 2018's best reviewed TV series, America to Me. Other recent productions include the Emmy-winning Life Itself, The Homestretch, The Interrupters, and The Trials of Muhammad Ali, the Dupont award-winning series Hard Earned; and Raising Bertie, All the Queen’s Horses, Keep Talking, and ‘63 Boycott.
Kartemquin is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization based in Chicago. www.kartemquin.com

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Hoop Dreams

The Kartemquin Catalogue –
2h 52m

First exhibited at the 1994 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the audience award for best documentary, Kartemquin's Hoop Dreams is the remarkable true story of two American dreamers; an intimate reflection of contemporary American inner-city culture, following two ordinary young men on the courts of the game they love.

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No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson

On February 13, 1993, 17-year-old Bethel High School basketball star Allen Iverson entered a Hampton, Virginia bowling alley with several classmates. It was supposed to be an ordinary evening, but it became a night that defined Iverson's young life: a quarrel soon erupted into a brawl pitting Ive...

Chicago Crossings: Bridges and Bounda...

A video made to accompany an art exhibit at The Spertus Museum addressing the relationships of African Americans and American Jews. This video takes you in to the studios of 12 artists, six Black and six Jewish, as they prepare their work for the show.

Chicago Crossings — Extended Unfinish...

Directors Gordon Quinn and Jerry Blumenthal began work on an extended film based off the short video they made to accompany the exhibition at the Spertus Museum. However, the extended feature length film was never completed. This rough cut contains some of the additional footage and interviews in...